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No. 750,140. PATENTED JAN.'19, 1904,.

N0 MODEL.

J. H. WELSH.

AERIAL WHIRLING TOWER.

. APPLICATION IILBD FEB. Z7, 1903.

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APPLICATION FILED PEB. 27, 1903.

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Patented January 19, 1904,.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H.v -WRLsH, or NRW YORK, N. Y.

AERIAL'WHIRLING TOWER.

l SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,140, datedJanuary 19, 1904. Application ied February 217, 1903.. serai No.145,316. (No masi.)

ratus, which from the nature of its parts mayA be appropriatelydesignated as an aerial whirling tower; and the object that I have inview is to provide a simple and secure form of apparatus, whereinprovision is made for carrying passenger-cars to a desired height abovethe ground and for moving said cars in a circular horizontal path duringthe elevation and lowering movements, whereby the cars travel in spiralpaths and a good panoramic view of the locality is afforded to thepassengers.

Further objects and advantages of the in-V vention will appear in thecourse of the sub- Joined description, and the novelty will be de- `inedby the annexed drawings.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part Vof`this specication,

in Which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin' all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly invertical section, of an amusementapparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, on an enlarged scale, through thetower, the-vertically-traveling carriage, and the horizontally-rotatingcarrier, and Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional elevation showing oneembodiment of means for supplying electrical energy to the'motor,adapted to rotate a car-carrier 'in ahorizontal plane. Fig.l 4 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of cables for operativelyconnecting the counterweight with the slidable carrier and ahauling-cable adapted to raise the slidable carrier by pulling down onthe counterweight.

In carrying my invention into practice I employ a vertical tower A,which is of metallic skeletonized construction and is erected on asuitable foundation B. The tower andthe foundation may be of anyapproved construction known to those skilled in the art, but, as

shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the tower is square inv cross-section and builtup of a series of and-fastened on the several sides of the structure.place by suitable braces 7 at the bottom por- The tower as a whole isanchored inf tion thereof and by the guy-cables 8, the lat- Vterextending from the ground to the top'por-v4 This upper part of the` tionof the tower. tower is shown by Fig. 1 as having a series of radial arms9, fastened in a suitable way to the tower at a point below the cap 10,the latter being surmounted by any suitable ornamentation or iiXture,such as the electric lamp 11. to the outer ends of the series of arms 9,and these arms are stayed to the ca'p portion of the tower bytension-rods 12.

On the tower is slidably mounted a carriage C, which surrounds saidtower on the outside thereofY and is adapted for movement freely in avertical direction thereon.

13, which is provided with inwardly-extending supports 14 in the form oflugs, that are integral with the ring 13, said lugs being disposed inpairs at the corners of' the tower. These supports 111 are equipped withpairs of rollers 15 15, one pair of which is disposed The anchoringguy-cables 8 are fastened This carriage C is shown in the -forrn of atrack-ring at each corner of the tower, and said rollers are arranged,asshown by Fig. 2, for the axes to vlie at right angles to each other,whereby the rollers of each pair are adapted to travel on the faces ofone angle-iron at the corner of the tower. It will be understood thatfour pairs of these rollers or their equivalents are mounted on theinner portion of the trackring, which constitutes a part of theverticallymovable carriage C, and these rollers are arranged to rideagainst the outer faces ofl the angle-iron tower-posts, whereby thecarriage is limited to vertical movement on the tower,

and it is adapted to travel vertically thereon with minimum frictionbetween the engaging surfaces. The carriage also contemplates theemployment of a stay-ring 16, arranged in a horizontal position abovethe track-ring 13 and connected rigidly thereto by a series of bolt-rods17, said bolts being attached in a suitable way to the rings 13 and 16,both of which encircle the tower and which are arranged in a parallelposition. The carriage and the load sustained thereby are counterpoisedby the employment of a counterweight D, arranged to travel within thelimits of the tower, said counterweight being approximately square incross-section and equipped with means whereby it may travel freelyagainstthe corner-posts 5 of the tower. This counterweight is shown ashaving a series of rollers 18, which are mounted in suitable supports atthe corners of the weight, said rollers being arranged to turn freely onhorizontal axes and disposed in radial positions relatively to thecounterweight, so that the rollers-will ride against the inner faces ofthe cornerposts and in the angle formed by the meeting facesofsaidposts. (See Fig. 2.) rIheemployment of the rollers arranged to rideagainst the posts in the manner described prevents the eounterweightfrom twisting or turning out of position within the tower, and thiscounterweight is adapted to move with minimum friction vertically withinthe tower and in an opposite direction to the travel of the carriage Cwith its load.

The carriage is operatively connected with the counterweight by theemployment of the series of cables 19, preferably four in number, saidcables being' fastened at their lower ends to the counterweight in anyapproved wa as, for example, by the provision of an eye 2O at the centerof said counterweight. The cables pass in upward directions and withinthe tower from the counterweight to and over guidesheaves 21, journalcdin the upper portion of the tower A, and said cables thence pass indownward directions from the sheaves to the carriage C, the lower endsof said cables being fastened in a suitable way to a part of thecarriage as, for example, to the upper ring 16.

The weight of the carriage and its load eX- ceeds the ponderosity of thecounterweight D, and normally the carriage and the load rest at thebottom portion of the tower. I employ a suitable hoisting-motor E and ahoisting-cable 22 for the purpose of raising the carriage and its load,and in the embodiment of the invention shown by the drawings thishoisting-cable 22 passes from a suitable drum of the hoisting-engine toand beneath a guidesheave 23, anchored at the base of the tower, whencesaid cable 22 passes upwardly within the tower and is fastened to thebottom portion of the counterweight D in a suitable way.

The carriage is adapted to sustain a horizontal revoluble carrier, onwhich or from which is supported a series of passenger-cars. Thisrevoluble carrier consists of inner rings 24 25 and a series ofoutwardly-extending arms 26, said parts being suitably connected andstayed. The member 24 of the revoluble carrier is fitted operatively tothe track-ring 13 of the carriage, while the member 25 is disposed inlike relation to the member 16 of said carriage, said carrier members 2425 being united by stay rods or bolts 27. The base member 24 of therevoluble carrier is provided with a series of sockets 28, preferablyfour in number, and in these sockets are firmly secured the metallicarms 26 of said carrier, said arms extending tangentially from theperiphery of the base member 24, as indicated more clearly by Fig. 2.The arms 26 are held firmly in place by the diagonal braces 29, and saidarms are united in series by the stays 30, attached to the arms at ornear the outer ends thereof.

The revoluble carrier is mounted on the vertically-slidable carriage tomove up and down therewith on the tower, and said carrier is alsocapable of rotation in a horizontal plane freely around the carriage.Any suitable mechanism may be employed for imparting the desiredrotation to the carrier as it travels vertically with the slidablecarriage; but in the drawings I have shown the apparatus as beingequipped with electricallydriven means for rotating this carrier. Anelectric motor 31 of any suitable pattern is erected on an expanded orwidened portion 32 of the base member 24, forming a part of therevoluble carrier, and the shaft of this motor is provided with a worm32, which meshes with a worm-gear 33, the said gear being fast with adriving-shaft 33, the latter being provided with a gear-pinion 34,arranged to mesh with the teeth of an externally-geared circular rack35, which is fastened solidly to the member 13 of the carriage. It willbe seen that the electric motor and the gearing are mounted on therevoluble carrier to travel therewith, and the rotation of themotor-shaft operates the countershaft 33 to make the gear-pinion trackaround the circularrack 35.

The current of electrical energy may be supplied n any suitable way tothe electric motor; but, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, the tower isequipped with a vertical grooved conductorbase 36, the latter beingsecured solidly to one side of the tower. In the grooves of this base 36is provided a series of metallic conductorrails 37, which are engaged bya series of brushes 38, attached to the under side of the member 13,forming a part of the verticallymovable carriage. The base member 24 ofthe revoluble carrier is equipped with a series of circularconductor-plates 39, which are in- IOO IIO

dividually .engaged by the brushes 38 of the series, and to theseconductor-plates `39 are electrically connected the wires 40 of theelectric circuit, which includes the motor 3l. This construction andarrangement of conductors 37 39 and the brushes enables me to supply acurrent of electrical energyto the motor at all points in the verticalmovement of the carriage and in the horizontal movement of the carrier,whereby the motor operates eficiently to propel the carrier in ahorizontal path during its vertical travel with the carrier C. Thiscarrier may be of any suitable or preferred construction; but it shouldbe of such strength as to sustain a series of passengercars F, thelatter being supported by the outer ends of the arms 26. Any suitabletype of car may be employed, and I prefer to suspend the cars from saidarms of the revoluble carrier.

Any suitable means may be employed for illuminating the tower and thecars, and in Fig. 2 the tower is shown as equipped with a verticalconductor-base 41, which may convey an electric current to the top lamp11 and through suitable appliances to electric lamps in the cars F.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the drawings. Thecarriage C and its load exceed the weight of the counterweight D, andnormally the loaded carriage has a tendency to travel downward on thetower toward the base thereof. The passengers may easily enter the car Fwhen the apparatus is lowered, and when it is desired to raise thecarriage the hoisting-motor E is set in motion to wind the vcable 22 ona suitable drum, thus pulling downwardly on the weight D, which in turnpulls on the cables 19, so as to raise the carriage C on the tower.During the vertical travel of the ycarrierin an upward or downwarddirection the motor 3l is supplied with the current of electrical energyfrom the conductors 37, and the rotation of this motor operates topropel the carrier in a horizontal plane, whereby the carrier is capableof moving in a spiral path, owing to its movement with the carriage andthe rotary tor during-the vertical travel.

movement that is imparted thereto by the mo- This mode of operationgives to the passengers a good panoramic view of the locality in whichthe appal vclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. Anamusement apparatus comprising a tower, a non-revoluble carriage limitedto slidable movement on said tower, a carrier revoluble on said carriageand'movable vertically therewith, a .counterweight slidable in thetower'and connected operatively with said carriage, the aggregate weightof the carriage lowered position relative to the tower, a hauling-cableattached to the counterweight, and a suitable motor or engine forpulling on the cable and the counterweight to counteract the gravity ofthe carrier and carriage.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a tower having a series of postsforming external track-surfaces, a non-revoluble carriage slidablerelatively to the tower, rollers mounted on the carriage to turn onhorizontal axes and arranged to ride against the track-sur faces of thetower-posts, said rollers being grouped in pairs at each angle of thetower, and the rollers of each pair lying at right angles to one anotherand disposed to ride against separate track-faces of one towerpost, arevoluble carrier on said slidable carriage, mechanism for impartingvertical movement to the carriage, and means for rotating said carrier.v

4:. An amusement apparatus comprising a tower having corner-posts ofangular crosssectional form, a slidable and revoluble carrier arrangedexternally on the tower, a counterweight slidable inside of the tower,rollers mounted on the corner portions of the counterweight to rotate onhorizontal axes and riding against track-faces afforded by the innerangular portions of the tower-posts, flexible connections between thecarriage and said counterweight, and a hauling-cable attached to thecounterweight.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a tower, of anon-revoluble carriage limited to slidable movement thereon, a revolublecarrier mounted on said carriage, a motor carried by one of said parts,gearing between the -motorshaft and the other part, conductor-railssupported by the tower, and current-collectors carried by the carriageand fritlztionally engaging with the conductorrai s.

6. An amusement apparatus having a tower, a non-revoluble carriageslidable on said tower,

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a carrier supported revolubly on said carriage, an externally-toothedcircular rack in Xed relation to Said sldable Carriage, a motor mountedon said carrier to travel therewith, and a counter-shaft geared to themotor-shaft and to the rack, whereby the carrier may be rotated aroundthe Carriage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. WELSH.

Witnesses: e

JNO. M. RITTER, H. F. BERNHARD.

